"Thank you for coming," Lyra said, falling back on the social skills her mother had drilled into her during countless gallery openings. "Please, make yourselves at home. Food's in the dining room, drinks are wherever you can find them."
Marcus's smile widened. "Ah, the informal approach. How refreshingly honest."
Within an hour, the inn was filled with the kind of eclectic crowd that could only exist in a place like Mistwhisper Falls. Witches clustered around the fireplace, sharing gossip and spell recipes. A group of what appeared to be local fae had claimed the library, where they were examining Vera's book collection with the intensity of scholars finding lost manuscripts. The pack shifters had gravitated toward the back patio, where they could keep an eye on both the party and the forest beyond.
Lyra moved through the crowd, playing hostess and trying not to think about the conspicuous absence of one particular guest. Cade hadn't appeared, despite the fact that half his pack was here and several people had asked about their alpha's whereabouts.
"He's watching from the forest," Finn Cooper said quietly, appearing at her side with the timing that suggested he'd been monitoring her mood. Cade's beta was younger than she'd expected, with easy brown eyes and the kind of smile that probably got him out of trouble on a regular basis. "Has been for the past hour."
"I didn't ask about Cade," Lyra said, though her heart did something complicated at the confirmation that he was nearby.
"Didn't have to. You've been checking the door every five minutes." Finn's expression was sympathetic but amused. "For what it's worth, he wants to be here. He's just being an idiot about the whole founder bond thing. Or for the werevolves, it’s a mating bond."
"You know about that?"
"Pack bonds work differently than founder bonds, but the basic principles are the same. When you find your other half, fighting it just makes everyone miserable." Finn took a sip of hisbeer, which appeared to be glowing faintly green. "He'll come around. Alphas are stubborn, but they're not stupid."
Before Lyra could respond, a commotion near the front door drew her attention. Elder Ruth had arrived, along with most of the town council, and the energy in the room shifted to something more formal and assessing.
"Showtime," Finn murmured. "Good luck."
Ruth moved through the crowd like a queen inspecting her domain, her sharp eyes taking in every detail of the inn's restoration and the gathered guests. When she reached Lyra, her expression was carefully neutral.
"Miss Whitaker," she said, accepting a cup of Junie's mulled cider. "An impressive turnout."
"Thank you," Lyra said, trying to project confidence she didn't entirely feel. "I wanted to show the community that the inn is ready to be part of Mistwhisper Falls again."
"And what role do you see yourself playing in our community?"
The question was clearly a test, and Lyra could feel multiple conversations pausing as people waited for her answer. She thought about everything Nico had told her about founder responsibilities and the ancient ward beneath the waterfall, about the weight of heritage she'd inherited along with the inn.
"Whatever role the town needs me to play," she said finally. "I'm not going anywhere, Elder Ruth. This is my home now."
Something shifted in Ruth's expression, a hint of approval that she quickly masked. "We shall see. Time will tell us what you're truly made of."
"I hope so," Lyra said honestly. "I'm still figuring that out myself."
Ruth's smile was small but genuine. "At least you're honest about it. That's more than many can claim."
The formal tension eased after that, and the party settled into the comfortable chaos of a successful gathering. Lyra found herself relaxing for the first time in days, moving through her inn and feeling like she finally understood what home was supposed to feel like.
She was refilling the drink station when Diana Moonwhisper approached, her cat-like eyes holding concern.
"You might want to check the back garden," Diana said quietly. "Something's got the sensitive types spooked."
Lyra followed Diana's gaze toward the patio doors, where she could see several guests clustering near the windows and peering out into the darkness with obvious unease.
"What kind of something?"
"Lights where there shouldn't be lights. And sounds that don't match anything that should be living in those woods."
Lyra set down the pitcher she'd been holding and made her way through the crowd to the back patio. A small group had gathered at the railing, including Marcus Blackwood and a witch she'd been introduced to as Sage Thornfield.
"What are we looking at?" Lyra asked, joining them at the railing.
"The falls," Marcus said, pointing toward the distant glow of water tumbling over stone. "They're... different tonight."
Lyra followed his gaze and immediately understood the concern. Hush Falls, which she'd glimpsed through the overgrown garden during her first tour of the inn, was glowing. Not with reflected moonlight or electric illumination, but with an eerie blue-green phosphorescence that seemed to pulse in rhythm with something she couldn't identify.
